True Colors
by That Buggy Girl
Summary: It had been a good day – No, a great day. But at the end of the day, Clumsy is still clumsy and Brainy...Well, he can dampen any one's mood.
1. Part 1

**Notes: **Took a different direction with this one than my other story. It's solely cartoon-based with the only movie influence being the notion that movie-Clumsy wanted to be less clumsy...but cartoon-Clumsy never seemed to care. Oh, and Brainy's a bit of a jerk. Happy reading!

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><p><em>You with the sad eyes<br>don't be discouraged  
>Oh I realize<br>it's hard to take courage  
>In a world full of people<br>you can lose sight of it all  
>And the darkness inside you<br>can make you fell so small_

-Cyndi Lauper

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><p><strong>True Colors - part 1<strong>

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><p>For any other individual, washing dishes was a mindless task.<p>

Really, how much concentration did it involve? Soap and water and the endless cycle of wipe-lather-rinse hardly required the precision of a master craftsman.

And yet, for Clumsy Smurf, it was indeed a task that required all his focus; he needed to think on every little move he made before making it or the entire washbasin would be full of not only sudsy water, but broken crockery as well.

It was just the way things were.

As with everything else in his life, Clumsy had to try harder and pay closer attention to what he was doing.

It didn't help that it had been a long, smurfy day and he was tired.

It also didn't help that his partner in this task was Brainy.

The Summer Solstice Festival had only come to an end an hour or so ago and clean-up was just beginning when Brainy had loudly volunteered his services in any way needed, which is how the duo had wound up in Greedy's kitchen, Clumsy washing, Brainy drying.

Brainy had been friends with Clumsy long enough to know the safer choice was letting him wash. It was a lot harder to break a dish floating in water than when holding it several apples off the ground. Brainy knew the probability of dishes being broken was high anyway, but he had still enlisted Clumsy for help, which made Clumsy puff up with pride, despite the fact that he knew Brainy asked him only because he hated to do such a mundane task without some one to listen to him natter while he worked.

Clumsy didn't mind. It was the way things smurfed, after all, and it was fine with him.

The pair worked in companionable silence in the beginning, with the background noise of the others drifting in to the kitchen as they completed their own post-festival chores. Brainy was meticulous as always, making sure each and every dish was dry and streak-free before adding it to the pile of dinnerware waiting to be shelved.

Clumsy allowed himself to relax a little; they'd been working for a while without a single thing being broken and the sounds of others humming and singing while they worked lifted his spirits. It had been a good day – No, a _great_ day. Any sort of festival or celebration inevitably left Clumsy deliriously happy; it really didn't take much to please him and spending time with his friends –especially Brainy- was a sure enough way to get him smiling.

Just thinking about the festival had him smiling again as he scrubbed at a particularly sloppy soup bowl; a soup bowl that was heavy in his tired hands, and soapy and _slippery_ and…

Before he realized what had happened, the bowl had slid from his hands and crashed to the floor, shattering at his feet and causing Brainy to jump.

"Clumsy!" The spectacled Smurf squawked, doing an odd little dance-hop away from the broken pottery. Neither of them had been hurt, but Brainy looked like he'd just had the fright of his life, leaning back against the counter, the hand holding his dishtowel pressed dramatically over his heart. "You know you need to smurf attention to what you're doing!"

"Gosh, I'm so sorry!" Clumsy's eyes were wide beneath the brim of his cap as he looked at the mess surrounding their feet. "I didn't mean to-"

"You never mean to." Brainy snapped, tossing the towel down on the counter and stepping gingerly over a large piece of pottery. "You stay put. I'm going to get a broom and trash bin."

Clumsy didn't dare move. Instead, he looked down at the broken bowl on the floor, his spirits sinking.

It wasn't that he'd broken something again, or that Greedy would be upset about it. They were all used to Clumsy's bumbling awkwardness and the resulting disasters and he was easily forgiven for his mishaps. No, it was more that Brainy was annoyed and when Brainy got annoyed he got bossy and when he got bossy he talked in circles about things Clumsy only half understood.

But when Brainy returned, the broom handle clutched in one hand and dragging a dustbin behind him, he was weirdly silent and simply set about briskly cleaning up Clumsy's mess, brows drawn together behind his glasses, mouth a thin little line.

Clumsy didn't know what to do. Should he help? Brainy had told him to stay put, but it _was_ his mess. He fidgeted a little, then stooped to pick up a large, blunt piece of the bowl.

Brainy's head snapping up stopped him cold. Their eyes met, Brainy's owlish behind his glasses, Clumsy's still wide. "Don't you ever get tired of being so clumsy, Clumsy?"

The question caught him by surprise and Clumsy blinked, taking a step back and tripping over his own feet in the process. He stumbled, only keeping himself from falling on the broken shards of ceramic by catching the edge of the washbasin on the way down.

"Well gee, Brainy…" He frowned a little as he pulled himself back upright, considering the question. No one had ever asked him that before; no one ever really questioned any one about their nature. It was simply understood that there was one defining trait that made each Smurf unique. "…Maybe a little bit, sometimes."

"Then why don't you ask Papa Smurf to smurf something about it?" Brainy straightened to his full height, hands planted on his hips as he regarded his friend. "I, Brainy Smurf, am _certain_ Papa would be able to fix you. Why, with Papa's help and my guidance, you could be totally different!"

_You could be totally different_. A strange feeling washed over Clumsy at those words; a feeling he'd never felt before and couldn't name. It settled, cold and hard, in the pit of his stomach, making him feel worse than anything ever had before. Even the time he'd smurfed himself into a green scaly thing and no one wanted him around hadn't made him feel as queer as Brainy's words.

"Golly, Brainy, I don't want to be any different." As soon as he said them, Clumsy knew the words would fall on deaf ears. Brainy had that look on his face, his eyes glinting behind his glasses; that look that meant he was about to go off on a tangent and there was no stopping him.

"Clumsy, Clumsy, Clumsy…Of course, you're not looking at the big picture." Brainy had stopped cleaning and was now pacing a careful path through the pieces of broken pottery on the floor. "If you were less clumsy and more graceful, why the possibilities would be limitless! You would be able to help Handy without spilling nails. You would be able to assist Farmer with the gardening without stepping on the plants. Perhaps even Papa Smurf himself would ask you to help him, if you were less likely to damage things."

"Brainy…" The feeling was getting worse with each word that fell from Brainy's big mouth. Only now it was spreading, growing from just a cold lurch in his stomach to an icy hand clenching around his heart. Was this…Was this what Brainy really thought? That he needed to be some one different? How could he be Clumsy if he was no longer clumsy? How could he be himself?

"Why, your whole life could change."

"I don't want my life to change, Brainy!"

"Oh Clumsy, of course you do." Brainy pushed his glasses up his nose, eyes bright and shiny behind the thick lenses, expression earnest and eager. "Everything would be so much easier if you didn't have to worry so much about being careful. It would be better. _You_ would be better."

And Clumsy could feel his heart breaking.

Still staring wide-eyed at his friend, he took another step back; this time he stumbled, falling squarely on his tail. Somehow, he managed not to land on a single piece of the shattered bowl –_shattered like his heart_- but it wouldn't have mattered if he had; he hurt so much already that no physical pain would have mattered.

Brainy wanted him to change.

_Brainy_, his best friend in the world; the only Smurf he felt totally at ease with. Sure, he knew the others loved him despite his faults. And he also knew that they didn't understand his close friendship with Brainy. Clumsy didn't know how to explain it himself; there was nothing common between them, no one interest they shared but each other.

Clumsy loved Brainy; loved him fiercely. Brainy was like a river, his energies always flowing, and if there was one saying Clumsy understood, it was that still waters did indeed run deep. On the outside, Brainy was calm and collected, smug and self-assured. But underneath all of that, Clumsy knew, his friend was an emotional wreck, always eager for approval and desperate for some one to listen to him. And Clumsy was always there to lend an ear and agree with Brainy's theories, more out of love and friendship than any real understanding of said theories.

Clumsy would never change a single thing about Brainy, even though he didn't understand him. Brainy was perfect exactly as he was.

Apparently, though, he didn't feel the same way.

For another long moment, Clumsy gaped at his friend, mouth working, but nothing coming out. There were words –so many words- but nothing seemed right…What do you say to something like that? Then, finally: "No, Brainy." He couldn't make his voice anything more than a sad whisper, "I like myself how I am. And…"

"…And…" Suddenly, the big kitchen felt entirely too small, as if the walls were closing in and there was no distance between him and Brainy. Clumsy scrambled back and up, desperate to get out of there; to run off to the woods or go home and hide or…or…Or it didn't matter what. He just needed to leave.

"I smurf how I am…And I thought you did too!" Without looking back, Clumsy stumbled his way out of the kitchen, tugging the door shut behind him and leaving Brainy standing amid a mess or broken ceramic and soap bubbles, the broom still clutched in his hand.


	2. Part 2

**Notes: **The plot of this is kind of running away with itself. It's definitely going to be longer than I had intended!

I've also recently developed a LOVE for Lazy. He's going to continue to be a prominent feature in this piece, I think.

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><p><strong>True Colors - part 2<strong>

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><p>It was a cool, temperate night, the kind perfect for sleeping outdoors.<p>

Of course, Lazy Smurf could sleep anytime, anywhere, and –to him- any conditions were perfect for sleeping.

He hadn't bothered to go home after the festival. In fact, Lazy wasn't even aware the festival _was_ over. He'd dozed off beside the River Smurf, comfortable under a tree, sometime earlier in the evening while the gaiety and excitement of the festival carried on. No one bothered to wake him; they knew he'd just drift off again and, anyway, they were used to Lazy sleeping in the midst of fun.

So Lazy had been left undisturbed in his dream world, happily slumbering, thoughts of a soft pillow and down blanket flickering through his mind as he slept.

…Until something landed on him, jarring him awake.

"Wha…?" Lazy, still half-asleep, tried to push himself up, but found it impossible to do so, as the whatever-it-was that fell on him was still sprawled over his lap.

Propping himself on one elbow, he rubbed an eye, yawning and looking down to find…Clumsy.

Clumsy, who usually would have been apologizing profusely, with a chain of 'Gosh, Lazy, I'm so sorry! -s' coming from his mouth at a dizzying pace.

Clumsy, who was…crying?

It took Lazy a moment to realize what was going on. As the fog lifted from his brain and he came more awake –well, as awake as Lazy ever was- it registered that something must have been _very_ wrong, because here was Clumsy, half on his lap, half in the grass, sobbing.

"…Clumsy?" The other Smurf's name came out on a yawn, muzzy and melodious. Lazy pushed his cap back a little, scratching his head. "Did you get hurt?"

"Yes…" Clumsy crawled back and off Lazy's legs, movements jerky and lacking in his usual fluidity, "I mean no…I mean…Oh, I don't know!" And he didn't know, really. He might've gotten a scrape or bruise when he fell, but what was physical pain, compared to the ache in his heart? Nothing would ever hurt as much as Brainy's casual, cruel words and how could anything ever be okay again?

"Wha…" Another yawn, and Lazy sat up fully, rubbing sleep from his eyes and looking over at the miserable blue figure beside him, "What happened?" The grass was soft beneath him, and tempting, but Lazy resisted the urge to go back to sleep and forced himself to stay focused. "Is something broken?"

Clumsy snuffled. "I'm broken…" He moaned pitifully, burying his face in his hands, "Brainy thinks I need to be smurfed so I won't be so clumsy any more." It was even more terrible, hearing it again, and Clumsy could feel his heart breaking all over again. How could he possibly live out the rest of his days knowing that his best friend didn't even like him?

"Brainy smurfs a lot of things…" Lazy frowned thoughtfully, gaze sliding out over the slowly-flowing river and its nearly-still surface. In the glow of the moon, the panoramic view was surreal, dreamy, the night's reflection glowing softly, as if there were two star-sown skies, one above, one below. "Doesn't mean he's always right."

"But…" Another sniffle. Clumsy shuddered a little, wiping at his eyes, pulling his knees up to his chest and trying to make himself as small as possible. "But what if he _is_ right this time?"

"Clumsy." Lazy's voice was soft, vague, "If Brainy's right about you, that means he's right about me and Dreamy and Jokey and Slouchy and…and every one who doesn't 'contribute anything meaningful to the village.' But Clumsy…Brainy's opinion is only his opinion, not…" Another yawn slipped out; Lazy couldn't remember the last time he'd spoken so many words at once, "…fact."

Silence fell for a moment and Clumsy glanced over at Lazy, wondering if he'd fallen back asleep. But no, the lackadaisical Smurf was still looking out over the water, eyes hooded, a sleepy-thoughtful look on his face.

"Well gosh, Lazy…Don't you ever think maybe Brainy's right and you should change?" Clumsy wasn't crying any more, but he still felt terrible. It took a lot to hurt his feelings; he was a good-natured fellow, easy-going and forgiving. Usually, he let any insult slide, knowing his friends didn't mean the things they said when they were tired or annoyed or angry. But with Brainy…Well, Clumsy never could be sure. There was always so much going on in Brainy's head; he rarely said things without thinking about them long and hard first.

That's what made it hurt – the thought that Brainy had been thinking on this for smurf-only-knows how long.

For a moment, Lazy said nothing and his eyes slid shut as if he was dropping back off to sleep. Then he lifted one shoulder in a half-shrug. "No…Not really." He stifled a yawn with the back of his hand, turning to look fully at Clumsy, "Brainy thinks we should change to help work in the fields or repair things or haul things…Why should we, when other Smurfs are already smurfing those things?" Lazy stretched, then flopped down in the grass, his hands tucked under his head. "Everysmurf has a job, and everysmurf does their job."

Clumsy considered that, glancing back out over the water and watching as the reflection of the moon shimmered as the water lapped at the riverbank. "…What _is_ your job, Lazy?"

"Motivation." The word came out on a yawn and Lazy stretched, then tucked his hands behind his head. "Every one else smurfs harder to do my share." Lazy felt absolutely no guilt or shame over this. It was simply the way things were and he was okay with that. No one else really seemed to mind, either; though others often complained about his idleness, no one ever seemed seriously upset about it.

There was another moment of silence as Clumsy turned that idea over in his mind. This time, Lazy did drift back off to sleep, lulled by the gentle song of the river and the distant chirp of crickets.

Clumsy sat there beside him for a long time, knees drawn up to his chest, arms around them. He rested his chin on his knees, head tipped slightly to the side as he watched the river run.

Lazy's job was to make every one else work harder to make up for his own laziness. Was that Clumsy's role in the village as well? The others had to compensate for his mistakes and accidents quite often. Maybe he was in the same boat; maybe he was some one who set an example of what not to do and helped the other young Smurfs try harder, so they wouldn't cause the same kind of trouble. Maybe that was…

_No._

Clumsy knew deep in his heart that such a thing couldn't be true. It didn't feel right; didn't feel right at all and Papa had always said they would know what they were meant to do, that it would feel _right_. Lazy was comfortable in his role as village lie-about, but Clumsy didn't think that he was meant for the same sort of thing.

And how could Brainy possibly be right when Clumsy hadn't even figured out what he was good for yet?


	3. Part 3

**Notes: **Hi guys! Sorry it's been so long between updates; I really have no excuse other than a lack of inspiration. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this part; I enjoyed writing it.

As always, questions, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. Thanks for reading!

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><p>It rained all of the next day.<p>

Clumsy, who normally woke early with the sun streaming through his window, slept late, a curled lump under his blankets. He hadn't slept well and what sleep he'd had hadn't been very restful. Usually one to have very smurfy dreams, Clumsy's subconscious had been plagued with shadowy nightmares that left him tossing and turning until the morning dawned grey and dreary.

He took one look out the window and –deciding the grim weather perfectly matched his mood- huddled as small as possible beneath his bedding, trying to shut out the world and the memories of Brainy's thoughtless comments the night before.

It didn't work.

The more he tried not to think about it, the more it preyed on his mind.

_You would be better._ Those were the words that haunted him most, mostly because he didn't understand them. Better than what? Better than who? Clumsy was happy with who he was and had never dreamed of being better than any one. Why would he want to, when he loved his friends and was proud of them when they did their best? There was no reason to be better than any one, when the other Smurfs were already the best at the things they did.

As for being gawky, well, he didn't mind that at all. It was in his nature, after all, and Clumsy had always accepted that. He liked himself exactly as he was; from his crooked cap to his two left feet. There was never any reason _not_ to like himself, when Papa always told him he was exactly as he was meant to be.

So why in the smurf did Brainy think he needed to change?

Trying to force himself to stop thinking about it, Clumsy rolled over and promptly fell out of bed with a thud.

Naturally, he wasn't hurt, except in his heart, where he didn't think things would ever be right again. Sighing, he sat up, kicking his feet in an effort to untangle them from the flannel bed sheet that had followed him to the floor.

Freeing himself from the sheet, Clumsy hefted himself up from the floor and set about making the bed in his usual sloppy fashion, the blankets only half-tucked, the pillow askew. Normally, he hummed while he worked, but that morning…He just wasn't feeling it.

Instead, he dressed quietly, heading out in to the rain to go for breakfast.

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><p>"Lazy?"<p>

"Hmm?"

"Lazy, wake up."

"Gimme a few more minutes…" Lazy yawned, rubbing at an eye and nestling back in to a comfortable position against his chosen pillow.

Hefty –who was acting against his will as said pillow- rolled his eyes, giving the other Smurf a gentle little nudge. "No, come on. You said you were smurfing this seat for Clumsy, so get up."

They were sitting at Greedy's table, waiting for breakfast, which was just about done baking. Greedy had gotten a late start –most of his firewood was damp from the rain- and Lazy had decided to use the time they'd spend waiting to catch a quick nap. He'd stretched out on the bench, using Hefty's shoulder as his pillow, his feet propped up to save an extra spot at the quickly-filling table for Clumsy.

Hefty wasn't surprised he was tired; besides the fact that Lazy was always tired, he'd gotten up early to fill Hefty in on the goings-on of the previous night, telling him between yawns how Brainy had upset Clumsy.

That didn't surprise Hefty either; Brainy was a know-it-all brat who thought first of his own feelings. Why Clumsy put up with him was beyond the brawny Smurf's comprehension, but the both of them had always seemed happy with their somewhat bizarre relationship.

Lazy sat up, stretching and slumping back down against Hefty as he beckoned Clumsy –who looked damp and miserable, rather than like his cheery self- over to the seat they saved. Clumsy usually sat with Brainy, but they had decided he deserved to sit with people who liked him just fine as he was. Clumsy forgave far too easily and Lazy didn't want him getting hurt again right away.

"Over here, Clumsy!" Hefty scooted over, making room between them and forcing Lazy to sit up properly. He watched as Clumsy glanced at Brainy –who was absorbed in one of his books and hadn't even noticed his best friend's presence in the room (which Hefty thought was both incredibly rude and incredibly Brainy-like)- then fumbled his way over to where they were, nearly tripping over his own feet in the process.

"You look tired, Clumsy." Was Lazy's greeting, though for once it wasn't just his own lethargy clouding his view of their friend. Clumsy looked exhausted.

"Gosh, Lazy…" Clumsy fell into place between them, stealing another glance in Brainy's direction, "I feel tired." He slumped forward, arms resting on the tabletop, chin resting on them. He looked so down-trodden, even his hat seemed floppier than usual.

"Well," Lazy offered him a slow smile, patting softly at Clumsy's arm, "With weather like this, it's a perfect day for a nap. You'll feel better after you get some sleep. I-" he yawned, "-always do."

In spite of himself, Clumsy couldn't help smiling at that, feeling a little better with the normalcy of Lazy's words. He really didn't know the other Smurf well, but Lazy was proving to be a kind-hearted, true friend and Clumsy suddenly understood why Hefty liked him so much, even though they were kind of exact opposites. "Gee, I don't know if that will smurf for me." He told Lazy, "But maybe I can give it a try." Usually, when Clumsy was feeling sad or upset, he went to visit Brainy, who would explain why it was silly to worry about the things he worried about and make him feel better. Clearly, that wasn't going to happen this time, so maybe it was time he tried something new.

"No one's gonna be out doing any work on a rainy day like this." Hefty said as Greedy set the usual heaping platter of fresh-baked smurfberry muffins on the table. "If you want," He paused, reaching for a muffin, "You can come hang out with us. You know," Another pause, this time to take a bite, "if you're feeling lonely or anything."

For all of his bluster, Hefty was just as compassionate as one Smurf could be, though he tried to hide it beneath his tough guy attitude. Being the strongest Smurf in the village, he seemed to think he had some sort of reputation to uphold, though Lazy knew otherwise. Hefty was fiercely protective of his friends and he had a huge heart, maybe the biggest of all, and that was part of why Lazy loved him.

Breaking off a piece of his own muffin, Lazy gifted Hefty with a smile, catching his eye over Clumsy's still kind of slumped figure. Hefty grinned back at him, slinging an arm around the ungainly Smurf's shoulders. "And you'll see, Clumsy!" This time, Hefty sounded a little more sure of himself. "It'll be lots of fun, if we can keep Lazy awake. He's a good storyteller."

"I know a lot of bedtime stories." Lazy offered, stifling a yawn with the back of his hand and smiling more when Clumsy perked up at the mention of stories. All this smiling and being awake, well, it was making him awfully tired, but it was worth it to see Clumsy looking happier.

"And I make a mean cup of hot cocoa!" Hefty enthused, getting in to the spirit of things "I got a really smurfy recipe from Greedy and added a secret ingredient." _So you don't need Brainy at all._ It was on the tip of his tongue to say it, but he didn't, knowing full well that would remind Clumsy that he was upset to begin with. "And smurfberry whipped cream on top!"

"Well…" Clumsy thought it over, considering his other options of going home alone or getting in the way of what others were doing, causing mayhem and accidents. Going with Hefty and Lazy definitely sounded like the best choice. "That does sound fun." Clumsy smiled, feeling happier and much more like himself, "And yummy too."

"Then let's go!" Hefty hopped up from his seat, grabbing their hands and propelling both of them before him, out the door and in to the rain.

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><p>From the other end of the table, Brainy was watching them over the top of his book, trying to make it look like he wasn't watching, even though it probably would have been fairly obvious, had any one been paying attention to him.<p>

Brainy, when we wasn't busy spewing facts and opinions and bits of advice or wisdom, was like an invisible being among the Smurf village. If he wasn't getting in to everysmurf's business, no one ever seemed to notice him.

No one except for Clumsy.

Clumsy, whom he had somehow insulted the night before, who had stormed out of the kitchen and off in to the night. And all Brainy had been trying to do was help him improve himself! Clumsy should have been grateful, not angry. Clumsy should have been taking his advice and asking him questions about how he could better his life.

Clumsy should _not_ have been leaving the kitchen for a second time in twenty-four hours, this time with Hefty on one side of him, Lazy lagging behind on the other.

They didn't know Clumsy. Half the time, Hefty didn't even seem to _like_ Clumsy. How would they be able to help him? How would they take care of him? How _could_ they? Hefty was all brawn and no brain and Lazy…Well, Lazy didn't do _anything_. How could they possibly know how to help if Clumsy broke something or got hurt, as he was wont to do?

They couldn't and didn't and Brainy was sure of that, as sure as he was that the sky was blue and he was the smartest Smurf in the village (after Papa, of course). And Clumsy would see that they would never know him as well as Brainy did, then he would be back and he would apologize for getting so bent out of shape in the first place.

And he, Brainy Smurf, knew that for a fact.

…Except for the little nagging voice in the back of his head whispering that he had really screwed up this time.


	4. Part 4

**Notes:** Happy Christmas, every one! I had intended this part to be finished on Friday, but, well...It wasn't. It is now though and I hope you all like it!

As always, questions, comments and reviews are love.

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><p>Clumsy had never been to Hefty's house before, Lazy realized as Hefty opened the door and let them in.<p>

Not for any mean or unfriendly reason, but likely because Hefty was subconsciously afraid that the awkward Smurf would somehow manage to hurt himself on a piece of exercise equipment and had thusly never invited him over.

Which was not a crazy assumption to make; the main room was indeed full of barbells of varying weights and sizes and other things that Clumsy could -and would- easily trip over. But Lazy was willing to take that risk, if it meant Clumsy wouldn't be moping around his own house, and he had used all of his sleepy charm to convince Hefty it was a good idea as well.

As Hefty shut the door behind them and Lazy helped himself to a towel from a cabinet near the stairs, Clumsy glanced around, taking in the unfamiliar surroundings. "Golly…" He sounded awed, eyes wide beneath his soggy cap, "You sure do have lots of exercise stuff in here, Hefty!" His own mushroom was full of boxes and boxes and boxes of rocks he'd collected, nothing as organized and interesting as this. Clumsy found himself wondering how heavy the barbells were and how strong Hefty must have been, to be able to lift them all.

"Of course I do!" Hefty grinned, flexing a muscle, "I wouldn't be able to keep in top shape without all of my equipment. I smurf a good workout every day, you know." Giving Clumsy another smug smile, he turned, rooting through the cabinet Lazy had taken the towel from and grabbing one for Clumsy. "Here, smurf yourself off."

"Thanks." Clumsy took the offered towel, wiping himself down and knocking his hat off in the process. He bent to retrieve it, suddenly noticing…

Hefty had a…nest in his house.

Well, not really a nest, but a big pillow with a pile of blankets on it. Lazy, already dried off, had wrapped his own towel around himself like a blanket, yawning widely and flopping down on the oversized pillow Clumsy had only just noticed in the corner. The drowsy Smurf curled up, snuggly in the fluffy towel, and sighed happily, quickly dropping off to sleep.

Clumsy –curious- glanced up at Hefty, who shrugged. "He likes to visit…But you know he can't keep himself awake." He half-explained, "So I smurfed a spot for him to sleep." Hefty's gaze followed Clumsy's back to the sleeping Smurf in the corner, and he smiled, watching as Lazy pulled his 'blanket' up further, murmuring at in his sleep.

"…You don't smurf if he just sleeps, Hefty?" Clumsy straightened and plopped his hat back on his head, a thoughtful look crossing his face, "Don't you ever wish he'd wake up and exercise with you or something?" Brainy's words were still swimming through his mind, still haunting him, and he found himself wondering if others thought their friends should be different as well.

Maybe it was just him…Maybe it was just that he was so hopelessly hopeless that he needed to change.

"No." Hefty took the damp towel Clumsy had been using, then crossed the room to where Lazy lay sleeping. He gently removed the wet towel from around his friend, tucking him under one of the blankets instead. "Why would I mind?" He cocked his head, brows knit, "Lazy's always sleeping."

"Well…Gee, Hefty." Clumsy frowned, shoulders slumping, "I'm always clumsy and Brainy still thinks I should be something else."

Hefty looked over at him, watching as the usually cheerful Smurf seemed to fold in on himself sadly. To Hefty, he looked as grey and cloudy as the sky outside, a look that was all wrong for Clumsy. It was weird, the same kind of weird it had been the time Lazy had been having all those nightmares and forced himself to stay awake. Every Smurf, Hefty knew, had certain characteristics that made them themselves, from Greedy and his insatiable appetite to Weepy's inability to stop crying, and it was always queer to see some Smurf acting unlike their usual self.

"What really happened last night, Clumsy?" Hefty asked, curiosity finally getting the better of him, "Lazy told me about it…But sometimes I'm not sure if I smurf the whole story with him, since he tires himself out talking." He set aside the damp towels, and indicated that Clumsy should sit, plopping down on the floor in favor of letting the other Smurf sit in his chair.

Clumsy slumped into the chair, staring down at his feet. "I was helping Brainy with the dishes and I broke one…He got all annoyed with me and told me I should ask Papa to…to…" Clumsy's voice wobbled and he wrapped his arms around himself, looking a little bit like he was trying to hold himself together, "…to fix me."

"Whaddya mean, 'fix you'?" Hefty asked, scowling, "There's nothing wrong with you!" It was no secret that the village's strongest Smurf was not overly fond of the village's self-proclaimed genius; that Hefty thought Brainy was a know-it-all loudmouth and that almost everything that came out of his mouth was wrong.

"Brainy thinks so." Clumsy replied morosely, drawing his feet up beneath him on the chair and curling up smaller, "He thinks I should be different…Better." That word again…Clumsy was beginning to hate the word "better." He didn't want to be better…He just wanted to be himself and be happy again. He wanted to be sitting at Brainy's table and listening to the rain on the roof instead of Brainy reading from _Quotations of Brainy Smurf_, which is exactly what he normally would have done on a rainy day.

He wanted his life to be _his_ life again.

Hefty watched, shifting uncomfortably, as Clumsy broke down and cried. This wasn't something he really knew how to handle and he felt stupid for just sitting there, but he really had no idea what to do. Give him a physical problem to solve –something needed lifting or moving or pushing- and he was all over it. But emotional messes…Well, that was more Smurfette's thing.

Clumsy curled up smaller in the chair, legs drawn up to his chest, face buried in his arms as he sobbed. Once he'd started, he knew he would never be able to stop, not until he cried himself dry. Not until he stopped hurting.

But here he was, in some one else's house, crying like a baby, and that made him feel even more miserable. Hefty and Lazy had invited him over to cheer him up, Clumsy was well aware of that. But instead of feeling better and being grateful for their friendship, he felt worse, wishing to be the one place he didn't think he'd be welcome any longer.

"Clumsy!" And, suddenly, there was Lazy hugging him, patting his shoulder, still wrapped in the fuzzy blanket Hefty had tucked around him. "Why are you crying?" Lazy glanced over his shoulder at Hefty, a small frown crossing his face, "What did you say?"

Hefty shrugged, helpless, sheepish. "I just smurfed him what happened…" He shuffled to his feet, pacing a few steps, then paused to pick up a nearby weight. Here in his own home, Hefty felt awkward and uncertain and wondering just how a relaxing, rainy day had turned in to this. Sometimes, he hated Lazy and his sleepy charms, the way he could talk Hefty in to just about anything with a soft smile and a few muzzy words.

…No he didn't.

He loved Lazy, and that was why Clumsy was sitting in his living room, crying.

"Gosh, Lazy," Clumsy hiccupped, sniffled, and curled against the aforementioned Smurf, gladly returning the hug, "It's not Hefty's fault, so don't be mad at him. I just…" Here, his voice wobbled and his eyes welled with fresh tears, "I feel awful…Brainy means so much to me and…and he doesn't even like me." The last part came out on a whisper as Clumsy lowered his head, wiping at his eyes with his hand.

"Brainy just says things without smurfing about it first." Lazy said softly, seating himself on the armrest of the chair and pulling the blanket a little tighter around his shoulders, "He usually doesn't mean them. And he usually changes his mind pretty quickly."

Hefty nodded in agreement, curling the small barbell in his hand towards his shoulder. He had to do something; Clumsy's distress was making him anxious and exercising was the only way he knew how to burn off nervous energy. "Yeah, he says Lazy is worthless all the time."

Lazy shot him a look and Hefty wilted under the glare. "…Until Lazy does something smurfy for every one, of course." Hefty smiled sheepishly at his friend, wishing he had a better way with words. He was always smurfing his foot in his mouth! "And Lazy does do stuff. There was that time that…Or no, that one night…Or maybe…"

An amused smile flitted across the sleepy Smurf's face as Hefty fumbled for something to say, and Lazy turned back to Clumsy. "I know I'm not worthless. No one needs to tell me I'm not for me to believe it, because if I was, would I have a place in the village and friends like Hefty? Brainy can smurf what he wants about me, because he…he doesn't…" Lazy paused, yawning widely, and Clumsy glanced up at him, a questioning look crossing his face. "He doesn't really know me at all."

"But he knows me, Lazy…" Clumsy sighed, slumping down in his seat, "Sometimes, I think he knows me better than I do."

"Nuh-uh." Lazy shook his head, picking at a fuzzy on his blanket. He had learned, through his own experiences, that sometimes, the people who thought they knew you best knew very little about you. There was always more to some one than what you saw on the surface, no matter what implications their name may have had. "If he knew you that well, Brainy would know that you have a big heart and that he shouldn't take your friendship for granted. Every one else knows that even if your feet get mixed up and go the wrong way, your heart is going the right way."

Clumsy stared at him, eyes bright and shiny with fresh tears. Lazy closed his own eyes, leaning back against the chair.

Hefty just watched silently, the weight cold and heavy in his hand. Lazy knew all this, because his life sometimes went the same way. In the beginning, he had been seen as a lay-about, good for little other than annoying others by sleeping in strange places. But as the days and years went by, they had all started to see other, smaller parts of Lazy, parts that were heroic and brave, or kind and caring.

In the beginning, Hefty had been the one to complain most about Lazy. The other Smurf was, after all, the complete antithesis of everything Hefty stood for. He was slothful while Hefty was hard-working, and Hefty couldn't stand to see him idle when there was work to be done – And there was always work to be done in the village. But as Lazy seemed to come more to life…During the Howlibird's attack and the war he waged on Morphio…Hefty had come to admire and respect him greatly.

And besides all that…Lazy was just kind. He had great appreciation for every one else and all the hard work they did to make up for his own idleness. He couldn't help being lazy, and he never rubbed it in that he got to lay around while everybody else was busy.

And he had a way with words, when he was awake enough to use them.

The room had gone silent, save for the steady sound of rain on the roof. Lazy seemed to be nodding off again, and Clumsy was wavering between misery and contemplation. Hefty looked at the two of them, so similar in some ways, but vastly different in others, and wondered for the millionth time how Clumsy had even wound up with Brainy for a best friend to begin with.


	5. Part 5

**Notes**: I love Slouchy. He's absosmurfly adorable, as well as pretty wise for a kid. He's definitely going to play more of a role in this in the future.

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><p>"Where's Clumsy?"<p>

"I have no idea!"

It was not an ideal way to start a morning, Slouchy thought. Granted, for the Smurflings, most mornings that began with conversation with Brainy Smurf were not off to a great start, but…Slouchy had been willing to take the risk, knowing full well that the best way to find Clumsy was by going to Brainy.

Brainy was seated at his desk, quill in hand, a half-written tome opened before him. Everysmurf knew he spent part of his mornings (and afternoons and evenings) working on his big collection of Brainy Smurf books, and when he wasn't busy pestering every one else with unsolicited advice, he could be found penning his master works.

Clumsy –likewise predictable- could usually be found hanging around at Brainy's mushroom if he had nothing better to do, which was often.

"Why does every one presume I would know, anyway?" Brainy glanced up at the Smurfling in his doorway, brows knit behind his glasses. The irritation was clear in his tone, which Slouchy found a little perplexing – Snappy and Sassette weren't even with him and he'd been polite, so why was Brainy snapping at him? "It's always 'where's Clumsy? Where's Clumsy?' I am not his secretary, Slouchy Smurfling!"

"Well…" Slouchy shrugged, stuffing his hands in his pockets and leaning against the doorframe. "You and Clumsy are usually together, Brainy." He reminded the older Smurf, as if Brainy would forget a thing like his best friend.

Brainy stared at him for a moment, gaze intense behind the lenses of his glasses as he tried to figure whether or not the Smurfling was making fun of him. Slouchy simply looked back, eyes hooded, gaze never wavering, and Brainy scowled, turning back to his book and taking up his quill again.

"Well he isn't here!" He bit out, scratching the nib of his quill quickly across the page he had been laboring over before the Smurfling's disruption. "And I haven't smurfed him in days!"

Slouchy remained in the doorway a moment longer, then shuffled fully in to the room. He paused beside the desk, peering up at Brainy, head canted to the side. He didn't say anything, but he didn't need to for Brainy to find his presence irritating.

"…What?" He asked waspishly, "What is it, Slouchy? I said I don't know where Clumsy is and, as you can see, I am _very_ busy."

The smaller Smurf was silent for a moment longer, looking up at Brainy as if he expected the spectacled Smurf to suddenly admit he did indeed know where Clumsy had gone.

Slouchy was a bit disappointed; he had planned on asking Clumsy to go walnut picking with him. Greedy had promised smurfberry nut pancakes, if only some one would fetch him the required nuts. The other Smurflings were busy with a smurfball and Slouchy –who hadn't been in the mood for running around that morning, but _had_ been in the mood for pancakes- had been hoping Clumsy would be willing to go out into the woods with him – He wasn't allowed to go alone, and the easy-going Smurf was most likely to accept the invite.

"…Did you and Clumsy get in a fight?"

At the question, Brainy glanced back over at Slouchy, surprised.

Slouchy had surprised himself with the inquiry; he usually let things slide and accepted the answers grown-ups gave him. But something about this seemed strange, strange in a way Slouchy didn't quite understand. It made him feel a little awkward, though…Maybe it was because he'd never been alone in Brainy's house, or maybe it was because it was unusual to see Brainy without his Clumsy-shadow. In any case, something had compelled Slouchy to blurt the question out, and now it hung heavy in the air, waiting to be answered.

"Why would you think that?" Brainy's voice –tight, controlled- broke the silence after a moment. He slowly lowered the quill, setting it on the desk, and turned fully on his stool, regarding Slouchy, expression cool and stony.

The look in his eyes sent shivers dancing up and down the little Smurfling's spine. "Well…When me and Snappy fight…That's the only time I dunno where he is." He offered by way of explanation, one shoulder lifting in a shrug. "And it's, ya know, kind of weird that Clumsy isn't here with you so I thought maybe you had a fight." It wasn't necessarily the best logic, but it certainly made sense to Slouchy.

"Not that it's any of your business," Brainy shifted in his seat, turning up his nose, "But Clumsy has been smurfing his time with the others, because _he _is being selfish and silly and does not want to heed my advice about improving his life."

There was another long silence as Slouchy continued to regard Brainy, watching as he fiddled with the quill, very slowly and deliberately refilling the nib. He ran a hand over the unrumpled page of his book, smoothing the crisp paper. Then he took off his glasses, wiping the already spotless glass clean. He looked normal and Brainy-ish, but all the little fiddly movements…Well, those were unusual and it was making Slouchy feel even more uncomfortable. Brainy was tightly wound on a normal day. Today he seemed close to snapping.

"Well, Brainy, I dunno what you mean about improving 'cause Clumsy is pretty smurfy the way he is," Slouchy pushed his cap up, scratching absently at his head, then buried his hands back in his trouser pockets, "but if you don't know where he is, I'm gonna get going."

Brainy gave him one last hard look. He didn't say anything, but the expression on his face said it all.

Wisely, Slouchy left.

* * *

><p>"Hmm hm ha-hmm-hmm-hmm…" Later that same day, Clumsy could be found wading in the swimming hole of the River Smurf, humming to himself as he hunted for pretty rocks beneath the shallow water. He already had a small pile of fancy pebbles, worn smooth by the gentle waves of the swimming hole, scattered randomly on the bank behind him.<p>

The weather had cleared up the previous day, turning bright and sunny. Clumsy loved that kind of weather; it was the best for being outside and around his friends, after all. He loved spending time near the water, out in the wide world where it didn't matter if he tripped over things or knocked something askew. Clumsy knew he was small in the grand scheme of things and, well, clumsy, but out here…he didn't have to watch himself so much. Nature didn't mind.

And Clumsy…well, he had the time of his life splashing around in the shallow water.

"Ah-ha!" Spotting a particularly sparkly rock beneath the rippling surface, Clumsy bent over, promptly falling into the shallow water. He came up sputtering, water running in rivulets down his face and off his chin, the prized rock clutched in his hand. "Brainy! Brainy, lookie what I found!" Excited, Clumsy splashed his way towards the shore, eager to show off his new treasure.

…Where he was greeted only by snores.

"…Oh. Right." In his enthusiasm, Clumsy had completely forgotten that he hadn't spoken to Brainy at all in the past three days. In fact, he'd hardly seen his spectacled friend! It was as if he hadn't even missed Clumsy or realized he was gone or even felt sorry for hurting his feelings.

And that was why Lazy had accompanied him to the river, only to fall asleep in the lush grass along the bank, exactly as he had the night this all began.

That was why Brainy _wasn't_ there.

And why Clumsy slowly stepped out of the water –rock still clutched in his hand- and sank down on the sloping bank, head lowered in dejection as that cold reality hit him for the millionth time over the three days that had elapsed since the Summer Solstice Festival.

Lazy was a wonderful friend, with a kind of soft, easy wisdom about him. And Hefty…Well, he was as brave and loyal as they came. But neither of them…Neither of them were Brainy and that made all the difference in the world.

Brainy was…Well, Clumsy didn't know what it was about him that made him so special. He was bossy and talked too much about things that made Clumsy's head spin. And he hurt people's feelings all the time; made Clumsy's other friends feel bad about things that weren't their fault. He could be thoughtless and he was –like Hefty said- a know-it-all, but…

He was just…Brainy. He always knew what to say and always made Clumsy think. And he listened (sometimes) and explained things (all the time) and knew so, so much.

Most of the time, Clumsy was in awe of him.

And even if he didn't always like the way Brainy treated the other Smurfs or the way Brainy acted like he was better than every one, Clumsy couldn't help loving him, because there was no way to stop what he felt in his heart. Brainy was his friend –his _best_ friend- and that's how it always would be.

And Clumsy missed him so bad it hurt.

But…

But it didn't seem like Brainy even noticed he was missing.

Sighing, Clumsy tossed the sparkly rock back in to the water, his joy at finding it greatly diminished by not being able to share it. Where was the fun in finding the rock, if Brainy wasn't there to tell him what kind of rock it was and what it was made of and why it sparkled when the midday sun hit it just so?

As the rock sank, the gawky Smurf felt his spirits sink with it. Everything reminded him of Brainy, but he didn't know how to fix their friendship without fixing himself first.

And…and that was a problem, because Clumsy didn't think there was anything to fix at all.

Confused, heartsick, and still damp, Clumsy curled up in the grass beside Lazy.

Maybe his sleepy friend was right…Maybe a nap would help.

After all…He could wake up and find out this was all a bad dream, couldn't he?


	6. Part 6

**Notes:** I'm dedicating this part to CartoonCaster21 on the occasion of her birth. Many happy returns, Cori!

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><p>It was entirely too quiet.<p>

Brainy had never thought the quiet would prove to be a problem; in fact, he'd always wished the others would stop blathering and just _listen_. He had so many big, important things to say, after all, and they only had silly trivialities on their minds. Why, everysmurf should've always shut their mouth and listened when he, Brainy Smurf, had something to say.

But this…The silence that greeted him everywhere he went was too much, too oppressive. He would have welcomed the usual grumbling over his advice, the others telling him to shut his mouth, or even the somewhat daily routine of being tossed from the village.

Instead…He was being completely ignored.

It seemed word spread fast in the village, faster than Brainy ever would have imagined.

He wasn't sure what they were all so upset about, though. He had simply been honest, as usual, because when was he ever anything less than forthright?

It was true, in any case. Everything would be easier if Clumsy was less clumsy. No one would have to worry about their homes, possessions or physical selves being damaged. There would be far less accidents around the village, which would benefit them all. Wouldn't it be better, if Handy's inventions weren't constantly getting destroyed? If Greedy's goodies didn't get squashed? If Farmer's garden didn't get uprooted?

Of course it would be better!

And Clumsy, he wouldn't be getting hurt all the time, if he was more graceful. He wouldn't be tripping or stumbling or bumping into things on a regular basis and he wouldn't be falling down hills or in holes or out of trees. There would be no more bruises and scrapes and cuts and bumps. Brainy, for all his mathematical genius and his brilliant memory , couldn't begin to count the number of times he'd helped his friend bandage a finger or knee or toe. Clumsy was always, always,_ always _hurting himself and, though he soldiered on without a complaint, Brainy hated it, because there was really nothing that he, in his infinite wisdom, could do to stop it.

But if he changed…Clumsy would be safe. Safe from accidents. Safe from the danger that always seemed to find him. Safe from himself, his biggest foe of all.

Brainy hadn't said anything that was less than true, so why was every one treating him like he'd said the most awful thing in the world?

…Why was it any of their business, anyway?

What he said to Clumsy was between the two of them. It was really no other Smurf's business, but it was so like those nosy Smurfs to get involved in some one else's affair. As best Brainy could tell, Clumsy went whining to Lazy, who managed to stay awake long enough to tell Hefty, who embellished the story for Handy, who…Bah! Terrible gossips, the lot of them.

And in their gossiping, they had blown it entirely out of proportion, which was precisely why they were all mad at Brainy and giving him the cold shoulder.

Well. He didn't need them anyway, the bunch of ingrates. None of them ever listened to or appreciated a single thing he had to say and he was better off without them. Really, all he needed was a book, a pen and…

And Clumsy, to listen to him.

* * *

><p>Papa Smurf was out in the forest with Baby when Brainy stumbled upon them.<p>

Baby was plopped on the ground, leaned forwards a little and studying a caterpillar inching its way across a fern. There was a squeal of delight as the caterpillar folded in and up, then spread flat again, propelling itself across the plant in a majestic dance of waves and ripples. It was such a mundane thing, complex in its simplicity – how did a caterpillar move like that, with its long, awkward body and stubby legs? But to Baby…it was undoubtedly magical, watching the bug grow and shrink as it traversed the leaf.

Papa was seated nearby, leaned against the trunk of a maple, his hands tucked behind his head, a smile played across his face as he watched Baby watch the caterpillar. Ah, to be young again and fascinated by the most everyday things! Looking through Baby's eyes gave the older Smurf a fresh perspective on the world.

Brainy simply stood there at the edge of the clearing for a moment, uncertain whether or not he wanted to approach. Usually, he did everything with gusto, never once caring about shattering the magic of a moment or interrupting where he wasn't invited. But now…

He felt like he could never be sure of anything again. The world had tilted beneath his feet and Brainy wasn't sure he liked this new, skewed reality where Clumsy didn't want to listen to him and the village seemed less inclined to forgive his foolishness that he didn't even believe _was_ foolishness.

"…Papa?" In the end, he regretted opening his mouth, as his voice shattered the stillness of the forest. Baby's laughter faded away, the caterpillar forgotten for the moment and Papa looked up, not appearing at all surprised, which only served to further unnerve Brainy.

"Oh, hello, Brainy." Papa smiled his most fatherly smile, his hands dropping to rest in his lap. "I brought Baby out for a nature walk. You're more than welcome to join us."

Brainy resisted the urge to point out the fact that they weren't walking anywhere, instead choosing to simply look at Baby, who was regarding him with wide, knowing eyes. "Actually…can I smurf with you for a moment?"

Papa was silent for a moment, searching Brainy's face for something as the younger Smurf squirmed in place, nervous under the gaze. He seemed to find what he was looking for and smiled, nodding and patting the ground beside him. "Come sit."

Brainy –who usually did what he thought Papa wanted, rather than what Papa asked him to- crossed the clearing as if his legs were moving of their own accord; as if he were in a dream instead of there in the forest.

"You must have heard about it by now, Papa Smurf." Brainy said as he sat, tucking his legs up underneath him. He stared down at his fingers as if they were the most interesting things in the world for a moment, then looked up to meet Papa's gaze, eyes intense behind his glasses. "About how I was so 'terrible' to Clumsy and how every one hates me over something that is _not_ their business."

Papa knew, of course, what was going on. How could he not? Things had been pretty unsmurfy for Brainy and Clumsy lately and snatches of stories about their falling out were being whispered and spread about carelessly, never to come together again, like feathers tossed to the wind.

However, he didn't want to judge. It was his place to offer advice, not condemn. "I've heard." He nodded again, "But I'd like to hear it from you." Every story, after all, had two sides. All that was spreading through the village was Clumsy's side of the story, because every one was too annoyed with Brainy to want to even ask him about his side of the tale.

"Well, it started after the Solstice Festival, when…"

As Brainy spoke, Papa watched him, taking in his animated gestures and the solemnity of his expression, listening to the carefully spoken, cultivated words. Of all his little Smurfs, Brainy was perhaps the most unique, insomuch as he didn't have a very good sense of self. Of all the things Brainy believed himself to be, he was actually very few.

Brainy, though he would never admit it, was incredibly fragile.

And Papa…well, he was very aware of this fact.

Clumsy was the thing that kept Brainy vibrant and all-knowing; the thing that kept him from shattering. Without Clumsy, who was there to hear and appreciate his vast genius? The other Smurf always hung on Brainy's every word, eyes wide, as if in awe of Brainy's intellect. And somewhere, deep down inside –in the scared, uncertain, desperate-for-approval secret part of his heart- Brainy must have swelled with pride at the thought that he was doing something right; that he knew what he was talking about and some one cared enough to listen.

He needed wanted _had to have_ approval. He had to be heard; his voice needed to matter. He craved praise and respect, though he had no idea how to properly earn them.

Clumsy had given him the things he needed and Brainy…had been unable to do the same.

But Clumsy was strong and resilient; he would always bounce back and he would always forgive, a fact which worried Papa almost as much as Brainy's frailty did.

"…And I have no smurfing idea why every one is blowing this out of proportion and making me out to be the villain, when all I wanted to do was help Clumsy better himself, so he would stop destroying things and getting injured." Brainy finished, huffing out the final words as he pushed his glasses up his nose. He folded his arms, sitting up a little straighter and looking to Papa for his thoughts on the tale.

Papa didn't say anything for a moment, just picked up Baby, who had crawled over to him. He dusted some grass from the little Smurf's pajamas, taking a moment to think on how he could explain in a way Brainy would understand. "The others are worried about Clumsy," He said slowly, "Because you, Brainy, are his greatest weakness."

"But that can't be so!" Brainy sputtered indignantly, "Why Papa! I'm the only one who wants to strengthen his mind and body; the only one who wants to see Clumsy improve his life!"

"No, Brainy." Papa shook his head, patting Baby –who had been startled by the spectacled Smurf's outburst- on the back. "You are his weakness, because Clumsy takes everything you say to heart. He believes every word you say, even the ones you yourself know in your heart aren't true. He would do anything to see you happy, because that's how Clumsy is. His love for you makes him weak."

"And now, you are asking the impossible of him, because you know he can't smurf the way he is." Papa continued, as Baby snuggled against him, yawning and rubbing an eye. "And it's not up to you to decide that he should. If Clumsy wants things to be different, that's up to him, not you."

"And then you could fix him?" Brainy clearly couldn't help the hopeful tone that crept into his voice as he asked the question. He had visibly perked up at that thought, as if knowing it was possible made it any different.

"Brainy!" There was nothing left but to accept that Brainy didn't understand, Papa thought with dismay. He'd hoped his little know-it-all would get the hint, but obviously…He didn't. If he understood, he would stop asking if Clumsy could be 'fixed.' But it appeared that he could not seem to understand that there was nothing to change; that Clumsy's nature was so a part of him it would never be different.

And if Brainy couldn't come to terms with that fact…Well, that would be his downfall. Because much like it was his own great weakness, Clumsy's love for Brainy was Brainy's greatest strength.


	7. Part 7

**Notes:** Hey every one, I'm back in business! This part didn't come out exactly how I imagined, but it is a crucial turning point of the story.

Thank you for all the wonderful, kind reviews. I love each and every one of you.

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><p>It was really weird, seeing Brainy and not saying a word to him.<p>

And Clumsy saw Brainy everywhere, all the time. It was kind of hard to avoid some one in the village, after all; there were only so many places to go. Clumsy would be on his way to the dam to work and he would pass Brainy on the way. Or he would be going to see Papa about something and there would be Brainy, leaving the lab. Or he would be down by the river and there's Brainy. Everywhere, everywhere, _everywhere_ he was seeing Brainy…

And they didn't say one word to each other.

Half the time, they didn't even _look_ at each other.

Brainy was like a ghost, drifting through the village, usually with a book tucked under his arm. He seemed to be wandering aimlessly, rather than with authoritative purpose as he usually did. It was strange to see and it made Clumsy feel uncomfortable, starting down deep in the pit of his stomach. He wondered if Brainy felt the way he felt – Lost, confused and uncertain. It certainly seemed so.

But he wasn't really sure how to approach the other Smurf and make amends.

And that was making him even more distractible than usual, which, given his usual state of mind and equilibrium, was bad.

Which was precisely why, this afternoon, Clumsy was so lost in his thoughts –his horribly depressing thoughts about how there was no way to solve this Brainy problem- that he was completely unaware of his surroundings until there was a startled yelp of "Azrael!" from behind him.

The day had begun normally enough – Well, as normal as his days were lately. Slouchy had politely asked him to go on a walnut hunt after lunch, excited at the prospect of having pancakes the next morning. How could Clumsy possibly deny the little Smurfling that? He liked Greedy's pancakes himself and if there was one rule in the village that everysmurf was vigilant about, it was that you didn't let the Smurflings go off into the woods unaccompanied by an adult.

Hefty had overheard and said he'd come along too, and they had set out armed with baskets and dragging along a half-asleep Lazy, who they all knew would be asleep beneath a tree once they stopped, but none of them minded, because the company was good, the day was pleasant and that was just the way the world worked.

And now, here they were in the forest, scouring the ground for walnuts and tossing any that hadn't already been tapped by a squirrel or chipmunk into the baskets they brought with them. Clumsy's heart hadn't really been into the task and he'd been lost in thought –thoughts of passing silently by Brainy at breakfast- until pandemonium broke out when Azrael leapt –snarling, jaws snapping- from behind a bush.

There was panic for a moment as they scattered, Hefty roughly shaking Lazy to wake him, then dragging the other Smurf towards cover. For a moment, Slouchy looked torn between trying to save his basket of nuts, which he subsequently tripped over, sprawling on the ground right in the mangy cat's path.

Clumsy didn't hesitate at the sight of Slouchy in danger, just stumbled forwards, throwing himself down on top of the little Smurfling, sending the two of them tumbling off into a patch of ferns as Azrael lunged at them.

Chaos reigned for another moment as they rolled, Clumsy's vision clouded with a swirl of green and forest and Azrael, who misjudged their location and went crashing off in another direction, and then bright white as his head collided with a rock hidden among the ferns.

The world swam before Clumsy's eyes as he slumped to the ground, considering the irony –a word he understood thanks to Brainy- of being hurt by something he loved (something he loved, like Brainy, who hurt him all the time) before everything faded to black.

* * *

><p>Brainy was seated on the ground, back against the stone wall of the well, a book in his lap, when the commotion began.<p>

It started with Lazy moving faster than any of them had ever seen, calling out "Papa Smurf! PAPA SMURF!" and waving a hand spastically in the air. Slouchy was hurrying along beside him, the knees of his pants torn and dirty, clutching Lazy's other hand and crying, another sight which was unusual to behold.

There was nothing surprising about other Smurfs coming barging in and looking for Papa. They were always getting themselves into messes because they just did things without thinking first or went someplace they shouldn't or touched something they weren't supposed to. If they just would listen –to him, to Papa, to any one who knew what they were doing!- these things wouldn't happen all the time.

The fact that it was Lazy and Slouchy, though, that was different. They were usually too, well, lazy to get into any trouble.

Mildly curious, Brainy closed the book and rose, intent on finding out what happened.

And that was when he saw Hefty.

A crowd of curious onlookers was forming by that point, clustering around to see what the ruckus was all about, but all Brainy could see was Hefty, Hefty cradling a limp Clumsy in his arms as he carefully hurried towards Papa's laboratory.

The buzz of the crowd, the sound of Lazy's shrill shouting, Slouchy's crying, the whirl of activity…All of it faded away as Brainy silently –automatically- fell in step a few paces behind Hefty, gaze fixed on what he could see of Clumsy from behind – one dangling foot; the peak of his always-crooked hat.

How had this happened? _What_ had happened?

Brainy had always known something devastatingly terrible and possibly irreversible would happen to Clumsy, simply because he was himself.

And that was why he wanted so badly for Clumsy's life to be different, so he wouldn't one day stumble and fall and fail to get up again.

Papa emerged from his lab, brows knit, a worried frown on his face. He knew as well as the rest of them, for Lazy to be calling for him, it must've been something bad. The usually idle Smurf was not one for going to Papa for every little thing, like some of the others were wont to do.

Hefty and Lazy and Slouchy –who was wiping away the last of his tears- were trying to explain, all talking over one another, gesturing, desperate and worried. And Brainy took in none of it at all; the only thing he could hear was the sound of his own heart pounding in his ears.

And then there was another flurry of activity as the crowd moved, seemingly as one, towards Clumsy's house, Hefty leading the way, Clumsy still bundled in his arms. Slouchy's hand was one again clutched in Lazy's and they were whispering to one another as they walked, the rest of the village trailing behind them.

And behind that came Brainy, as if in a trance, an automaton in a world of living, breathing emotions. He felt frozen, chilled beyond comprehension. He had always known this would happen, but he had never truly believed that it would, deep down inside. Clumsy was so lively, so vibrant. It was impossible to imagine him so still and silent and broken, and yet…there he was.

In Brainy's heart of hearts, he had always hope this would be the one time he was without a doubt, one hundred percent dead wrong.

_Dead_.

The word flickered unbidden through his mind –along with that image of Clumsy absolutely still in Hefty's arms- before he banished it, not allowing himself to even consider that possibility.

Because this was, after all, his fault.

If he hadn't been so hard on Clumsy…Clumsy would have been here with him, safe in the village. He wouldn't have gone out into the woods with Hefty and Lazy, because they would have been busy with something together. He wouldn't have gotten hurt so badly…Wouldn't be in trouble now. Brainy could have kept him safe, could've helped him, would have known what to do.

Instead, the world was rushing on around him as every one else worked to take care of Clumsy, while Brainy stood there, forgotten, frozen…The catalyst of all these events.

And there was nothing he could do to slow it all down and fix the problem.

So he just continued to stand there, in the doorway now, watching as the other Smurfs fussed about Clumsy, tucking him in to bed, gently applying ice to the nasty bump on his head, as Papa spoke to them quietly, telling them what to do for Clumsy. Lazy was hugging Slouchy, patting his back, as Hefty paced the room, full of nervous energy.

No one seemed to notice Brainy the silent shadow in the door, desperately wanting to fix everything and undo what he said, change the things he did.

Or perhaps, worst of all, no one even wanted him there.


End file.
